Camera lens mount



April 1951 E. GUINCHARD 2,547,576

CAMERA LENS MOUNT Filed May 23, 1950 ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 3, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CAMERA LENS MOUNT Eric Guinchard, Yverdon, Switzerland, assignor to Paillard S. A Sainte-Croix, Va id, Switzerland, a corporation of Switzerland Application May 23, 1950, Serial 'No. 163,628 In Switzerland June 15, I949 7 Claims. 1

Lens mounts for cameras and in particular carriers for photographic and kinematcgraphic cameras include generally two parts that may be shifted withreference to one another in order to provide for focussing. Generally, Said two parts of the mount are mechanically interconnected through a helical slot or cam-shaped member so that the relative axial position of the two parts may depend on their relative angular posit-ion and there -corresponds to each of said relative angular positions of the two parts of the mount a predetermined focussing distance for the object to be photographed.

Certain lens mounts for camera include :no focu'ssing means. In such mounts, the two parts of the lens remain in unvarying relative locations and their relative positions are-selected and defined in the mounting in a manner such that the lens may be focussed for a distance generally termed the hyperfocal distance.

Eaid hyperfocal distance is generally defined for a fully uncovered lens. For instance, in the cas of a kinematographic camera, opera-ting on a 8 mmnlm with a lens the focal distance 1 of which is equal to 12.5 mm. with a maximum opening of 17238, the unvarying focussing distance of the lens without any adjustable focussing means being provided, lies at 2.8 m. Under such conditions, the depth of the field of the lens extends between the infinite and 1.4 m. It will bereadily ascertained from said example that the hyperfoca'l focu'ssing distance that is also termed the fix-focus by craftsmen, is of considerable inter'est when it is desired to obtain a large depth of field. Unfortunately, said distance is gener- '1' 2.1137 not defined with suflicient accuracy on the scale of distances of a lens mount provided with an adjustable 'focussing device.

'My invention has for its object a lens mount for cameras that is provided with focussing means for removing the above disclosed drawback; ,this obtained through the fact that the mountinc'ludes a stop system defining the relative angular position between the two parts of the mount that correspond to a 'hyperfocal adjust'ment of the lens for which the depth of field extends between the infinite ends near distance, which latter distance depends for a given lens on the o ening of the diaphragm.

'Ihave illustrated diagrammatically andby way of example "in accompanying drawings, a, preferred embodiment of the lens mount accordin'gto my invention. 'In said drawings:

.1 a'view of a lensmount, parts of which are shown sectionally, and parts of which are shown torn off.

Figs. 2 to 5 are detail views.

The mount illustrated by way of example in saiddrawings includes a support S provided with a threaded part 3 adapted to be screwed into a ring not illustrated, rigid with the actual camera body. Said support is provided with an axial bore inside which is fitted a member C carrying two lenses, '2 and 3. Said member C shows a cylindrical guiding surface 4 sliding inside a corresponding surface 5 provided on the carrier S. Lastly, a projection 6 rigid with the support S engages a groove 7 provided in the member C along a generating line of the latter. The support S is also provided with a helical slope constituted by a thread over which is screwed a tapped ring 8 bearing through its front shoulder 9 against a bearing flange I!) of the member 0. The threaded ring 8 carries a control member 4 l rigidly secured thereto by means of grub screws l2 the ends of which engage depressions I3 in said ring. Said "control member includes a shoulder l4 bearing against the bearing flange ll] on the member C. As illustrated in the drawing, the mounting-isprovided in a mannersuch that the fastening of the grub screws 12 urges the ring 8 into a movement towards the shoulder Ha on the control member 11. Further, the bearing flange H) is fitted without any axial play between the shoulders l4 and 9. Thus acou-plin' without any angular or axialplay is provided for connecting the control "member H, the ring 8 and the member C together. The latter is provided with a chamber :5 the walls of which are tapped to engage a sleeve l5 that carries on its front surface, a diaphragm system provided with a variable and progressive opening of a known type. Said system includes a ring I! to which are pivotally secured, in a separate manner, the blades I 8 or the "diaphragm through the agency of studs 19 rigid with the ends of the corresponding blades and engaging a blind opening 20 provided in said ring 17. Furthermore, each diaphragm blade 48 carries at its other end a'pin lea engaging a coresponding port provided in'aring 21-, the peripheral cylindrical wall of which bears against the cylindrical wall 2 2 of an axial bore provided in the sleeve 46. The latter also carries a lens 38 that is rigidly secured thereto.

The outer control member 23 is carried by 'a thread of a low pitch provided inside the sleeve l6. It carries a pin 24 passing through a port 25 formed in the sleeve l6 and the end of which engages a radial cut 26 in the ring 2|.

Thus the camera lens described hereinabove provides, as in the case of conventional lenses through. an angular shifting of the control member H, for a rotation of the threaded ring 8 with reference to the support S and therethrough for an axial shifting of the member C with ref erence to the support S. Furthermore, an angular shifting of the outer control member 23 pro vides for a shifting of the pin 24 and for a drive of the ring 2| that assumes the same angular movement which in its turn produces a rotation of the blades l8 round their pivots, so as to open or to close the diaphragm correspondingly.

The mount illustrated incorporates, furthermore, a stop arrangement defining the axial position of the member C with reference to the su-pport S that corresponds to the hyperfocal focussing.

This arrangement includes a piston 30 adapted to slide inside a bore provided in the sleeve l and submitted to the action of a spring 35 urging its end into contact with a raceway 32 provided in the front surface of the control member H. Said raceway assumes the shape of an arc of a circle the ends of which are defined by two walls 33' forming stops and it includes, furthermore, a depression 34 (Fig. 4).

. The operation of the stop arrangement is as follows: When .the operator actuates the control member Ii, the latter executes an angular movement with reference to the sleeve 16 whereby the end ofv the piston 36 slides over the raceway '32 and engages under the action of the spring '3! the depression 34, when the axial location of the memberC with reference to the support 5 corresponds to the desired hyperfocussing of the lens. Thus the piston 39 cooperating with the depression 3.4, defines automatically the location of the control member corresponding to the hy perfocal adjustment of the lens. Furthermore,

the engagement of the piston with one of the walls 33 defines the location of the control member H corresponding to the focussing of the lens onto an object at the infinite distance.

Lastly, the mount illustrated includes also a second positioning means defining the main opening values of the diaphragm. Said means include the end 3? of the above mentioned spring -3i that cooperates with notches provided in raceway cut in the outer control member 23. Thus, when said member 23 is shifted angularly with reference to the sleeve it, the end 37 of i the spring 3! slides over the raceway 36 and engages in succession the notches 35 so as to define thus various diaphragm openings that have been gauged previously.

From the preceding disclosure and examination of the drawings, it may be ascertained that the lens mount described showsconsiderable advantages for the operator as it allows in particular adjusting the lens-in an accurate manner for the hyperfocal distance without it being necessary for the operator to carefully adjust the angular "position of the control member as the latter is defined automatically through the positioning means.

In the embodiment illustrated, the spring 3! assumes the shape of a half circle, one of the cooperating with the notches 35 but obviously the members and parts of the positioning means described may-be replaced by equivalent members What I claim is:

1. In a lens mount for cameras, the combina-- tion of a support, a lens-carrier slidably carried thereby, a rotary nut shaped member controlling the longitudinal position of the lens-carrier in the support and provided with an annular guideway the plane of which is perpendicular to the axis of the lens-carrier, a cooperating member carried by the lens-carrier and provided with a blind longitudinal perforation registering with the guideway in the rotary member, a pistonshaped member slidingly carried in said perforation, a spring urging the piston-shaped member outwardly into the guideway, the guideway being provided at least at one predetermined point with a depression into which the piston is engaged releasably through the action of the spring for ends of which is provided with a projection 37 defining a corresponding positioning of the lenscarrier with reference to the rotary member and consequently to the support and a diaphragm carried by the said member provided with a perforation.

2. In a lens mount for cameras, the combination of a support, a lens-carrier slidably carried thereby, a rotary nut-shaped member controlling the longitudinal position of the lens carrier in the support and provided with an annular guideway the plane of which is perpendicular to the axis of the lens-carrier, a cooperating member carried by the lens-carrier and provided with a blind longitudinal perforation registering with the guideway in the rotary member, a pistonshaped member slidingly carried in said perforation, an arcuate blade spring fitted in the guideway to one end of which the piston-shaped member is rigidly secured and adapted to urge the latter outwardly into the guideway, the guideway being. provided at least at one predetermined point with a depression into which the piston'is engaged releasably through the action of the spring for defining a corresponding positioning of the lens-carrier with reference to the rotary member and consequently to the support and a diaphragm carried by the said member provided with a perforation.

3. In a lens mount for cameras, the combination of a support, a lens-carrier slidably carried thereby, a rotary nut shaped member controlling the longitudinal position of the lens carrier in the support and provided with an annular guide- Way the plane of which is perpendicular to the axis of the lens-carrier, the ends of said guideway forming lateral stops, a cooperating member carried by the lens-carrier and provided with a blind longitudinal perforation registering with the guideway in the rotary member, a pistonshaped member slidingly carried in said perforation, a spring urging the piston-shaped member outwardly in the guideway between the stops formed by the ends of the latter, the guideway being provided at least at one predetermined point with a depression into which the piston is engaged releasably through the action of the spring for defining a corresponding positioning of. the lens-carrier, with reference to the rotary member and consequently to the support and a diaphragm carried by the said member provided with a perforation.

4. In a lens mount for cameras, the combination of a support, a lens-carrier slidably carried thereby, a rotary nut-shaped member controlling the longitudinal position of the lens carrier in the support and provided with an annular guideway the plane of which is perpendicular toithe axis of the lens-carrier, a cooperating member carried by the lens-carrier and provided with a blind longitudinal perforation registering with the guideway in the rotary member, a pistonshaped member slidingly carried in said perforation, an arcuate blade spring fitted in the guide-- way to one end of which the piston-shaped member is rigidly secured and adapted to urge the latter outwardly into the guideway, the guideway being provided at least at one predetermined point with a depression into which the piston is enaged releasably through the action of the spring for defining a corresponding positioning of the lens-carrier with reference to the rotary member and consequently to the support and a diaphragm carried by the said cooperating member provided with a perforation, a rotary control knob for the diaphragm coaxial with the lens-carrier and provided with an arcuate series of notches arranged coaxially with the axis of the lens-carrier, a projection at the other end of the blade spring adapted to engage selectively one of said notches according to the position given to the rotary control knob.

5. In a lens mount for cameras, the combina tion of a support, a lens carrier slidably carried thereby, a rotary member provided with a tapping coaxial with the lens-carrier and engaging the latter threadedly, said rotary member being longitudinally stationary with reference to the lens-carrier, a sleeve fitted inside the lens-carrier, and including a flange facing the terminal surface of the rotary member, the cooperating sur faces of said fiange and rotary member being provided respectively with an annular guideway coaxial with the lens-carrier and with a blind longitudinal perforation registering permanently with said guideway durin the relative rotary movements between the sleeve and rotary member, a piston-shaped member slidingly carried in said perforation, a spring urging the pistonshaped member outwardly into the guideway, the guideway being provided at least at one predetermined point with a depression into which the piston is engaged releasably through the action of the spring for defining a corresponding positioning of the lens carrier with reference to the rotary member and consequently to the support and a diaphragm carried by the sleeve.

6. In a lens mount for cameras, the combination of a support, a lens-carrier slidably carried thereby, a rotary member provided with a tapping coaxial with the lens-carrier and engaging the latter threadedly, said rotary membe being longitudinally stationary with reference to the lens-carrier, a sleeve fitted inside the lens-carrier and including a flange facing the terminal surface of the rotary member, the cooperating surfaces of said flange and rotary member being provided respectively with an annular guideway coaxial with the lens-carrier and with a blind longitudinal perforation registering permanently with said guideway during the relative rotary movement between the sleeve and rotar member, a piston-shaped member slidingly carried in said perforation, an arcuate blade spring fitted in the guideway one end of which engages the piston-shaped member for urging the latter outwardly into the guideway, the guideway being provided at least one predetermined point with a depression into which the piston is engaged roleasably through the action of the spring for defining a corresponding positioning of the lenscarrier with reference to the rotary member and consequently to the support, and a diaphragm carried by the said sleeve.

7. In a lens mount for cameras, the combination of a support, a lens-carrier slidably carried thereby, a rotary member provided with a tapping coaxial with the lens-carrier and engaging the latter threadedly, said rotar member being longitudinally stationary with reference to the lens carrier, a sleeve fitted inside the lens-carrier and including a flange facing the terminal surface of the rotary member, the cooperating surfaces of said flange and rotary member being provided respectively with an annular guideway coaxial with the lens-carrier and with a blind longitudinal perforation registering permanently with guideway during the relative rotary movements between the sleeve and rotary memher, a piston-shaped member slidingly carried in said perforation, an .arcuate blade spring fitted in the guideway one end of which engages the piston-shaped member for urging the latter outwardly into the guideway, the guideway being provided at least at one predetermined point with a depression into which the piston is engaged releasably through the action of the spring for defining a correspondin positioning of the lenscarrier with reference to the rotary member and consequently to the support, a diaphragm carried by the said sleeve, a rotary control knob for the diaphragm coaxial with the lens-carrier fitted inside the sleeve therein and provided with an arcuate series of notches arranged coaxially with the axis or the lens-carrier, a projection at the other end of the blade spring adapted to engage selectively one of said notches according to the position given to the rotary control knob.

ERIC GUINCHARD.

aerate-snore orrnn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,848,402 Wollensak Mar. 8, 1932 2,026,724 Wollensak Jan. 7, 1936 2,263,024 Wood Nov. 18, 1941 2,315,977 Mihalyi Apr. 6, 1943 2,319,083 Nowack et al May 11, 1943 

